


Uncertainties

by SaraJaye



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Hero's Guilt, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, Pre-Relationship, post-episode, reassurance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-08
Updated: 2017-02-08
Packaged: 2018-09-22 23:13:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9629390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaraJaye/pseuds/SaraJaye
Summary: All he knows is that he can't afford to mess up, not this time.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sheenianni](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sheenianni/gifts).



_You must master water, fire and earth by summer's end, or the world is doomed._

Hours later, Roku's words still weighed heavily on his mind and they wouldn't be lifting anytime soon. He didn't even know waterbending yet and already the fate of the world rested on his shoulders. Scratch that, it _always_ had, but that time was coming so soon.

_I already messed up by running away and getting frozen for a hundred years._ Even Sokka and Katara didn't know about that yet, and he dreaded the moment where he'd have to come clean about it. They'd be disgusted with him, disappointed. _I ran away like a child, I didn't face up to my responsibility. Because of me, all the Airbenders...Gyatso..._

The sky was completely dark and Appa still had yet to land, they weren't a safe enough distance from Fire Nation territory yet. Aang curled up in his corner of the saddle, but sleep wouldn't come. _I'm not ready, I can't do this, I'll just let everyone down again._ Water, earth, fire, he couldn't stand a chance without them. They were still a long way from the North Pole, it would take even longer to go back to Omashu if Bumi was going to teach him, and forget about Fire. The only person who could possibly teach him was...Aang shuddered, trying not to think about what might have happened to Shyu.

"Aang?" He turned around to see Katara beside him, just before he felt her hand on his shoulder.

"Oh, hey...I guess you couldn't sleep either with Sokka snoring," Aang mumbled, feigning a laugh. Katara smiled a little, but shook her head as she sat closer to him and Aang instinctively leaned against her. Her presence always seemed to comfort him even his mind was at its most troubled. "I can't learn all those elements by summer's end. I don't even know water yet."

"But you will," Katara said. "You know we'll do anything we can to help."

"It's not you guys I don't trust, it's _me._ What if I'm just not good enough?" _What if I let everyone down again?_ Katara pulled him a little closer, squeezing his hand.

"I know," she said. "It hasn't been an easy night overall."

"I wish I'd had more time to talk to Roku. He said I can talk to him any time I need to even without the Fire Temple, but I feel like I should already _know_ everything."

"Aang, that's ridiculous. Even the Avatar doesn't know everything instantly," Katara said. "We have plenty of time before summer ends. I know it doesn't seem like it, but I promise, you _will_ know all the elements before then. Sokka and I will make sure you have all the teachers and time to practice that you need." She hugged him tightly. "It's like I said at the Southern Air Temple that day. We're your family...and family always looks out for each other."

_Family._ He remembered that day, coming out of his blind pain-fueled air rampage in Katara's arms, letting reality sink in and realizing it was up to him to carry on the Airbender traditions, to make sure they didn't die out.

He'd always have some weight on his shoulders, but he wasn't alone. Katara, Sokka, Appa, Momo, he'd always have _them._ He nestled further into Katara's embrace, starting to relax a little.

"Thanks, Katara."

She tugged on Appa's reins, gently steering him.

"We're almost safe. How about I land so you and I can get some sleep, too?" Aang glanced over at the obliviously snoring Sokka and laughed a little.

"Sounds good to me."

Katara didn't leave his side for the rest of that night, their sleeping bags nestled together and her hand in his.

He slept well that night.


End file.
